Charles Perkins

(1936 to 2000)

Source: Smoke Signals, April 1966

Charles Perkins was born in Alice Springs; his mother was
Arrente and his father Kalkadoon. He was removed from the Alice
Springs Telegraph Station Aboriginal Reserve when he was 10 and
educated at St Francis House, a school established by Father Percy
Smith in Adelaide to educate Aboriginal boys. He trained initially
as a fitter and turner but, being a gifted soccer player, he played
professionally for the English club, Everton, then on his return to
Australia with the Adelaide Croatian and the Sydney Pan-Hellenic
Clubs.

Perkins first attended the Federal Council for Aboriginal
Advancement annual conference in Brisbane in 1961. He spoke with
passion about his visit to Mungana reserve where he saw a double
standard in action: attractive homes for the white staff and tin
shanties for the Aboriginal residents.

In 1965 Perkins, one of two Aboriginal students at the
University of Sydney (the other was Gary Williams), was keen to
find a way to publicise the Aboriginal cause. This led to the
formation of Student Action for Aborigines (SAFA) and the decision
to organise a bus tour of western New South Wales towns. About 30
students, led by Perkins, travelled to Walgett, Moree, Kempsey and
other towns exposing discrimination in the use of halls, swimming
pools, picture theatres and hotels. In a number of towns Aboriginal
returned servicemen were only permitted entry to the Returned
Service League clubs on Anzac Day. This trip became known as the
Freedom Ride and assumed iconic status as the students ensured that
they had press coverage for the conflicts which occurred in these
towns. Their effective use of television brought the issue of
racial discrimination in country towns to national attention.
Perkins' role in this action propelled him to a position as a
national Aboriginal leader and spokesman, a position he held until
his death.

In the post-referendum period, Charles Perkins was critical of
the Federal Council, believing it had not done enough to share
power with Aboriginal members. In 1965 he became the manager of the
Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs in Sydney, and in 1969 he moved
to Canberra to begin work in the Office of Aboriginal Affairs,
which was set up by Prime Minister Harold Holt. By 1984 Perkins was
Secretary of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, the first
Aboriginal Australian to attain such a position in the bureaucracy.
In his post-public service life Perkins played key roles on the
boards of Aboriginal arts, sport and media organisations. As well
he was a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander
Commission (ATSIC) and of the Arrente Council of Central
Australia.

Charlie Perkins was an independent spirit who gave much to the
cause of his people, and also to Australian soccer. His
independence of mind meant that he was no stranger to controversy.
He was given a state funeral in recognition of his dedicated work
for Indigenous Australians.